Have you ever stopped to wonder what this world looks like through the eyes of your cat? Many times, we have to speak through a bird’s eye view because people seldom talk about what the world could be like if you are a cat. We know that felines have a thing for feathery toys and they like pouncing on feet.
But what exactly makes them crazy and run after shiny objects and laser points? Admittedly, this must have something to do with their unique vision. Something we only know too little about. What exactly is your feline friend seeing?
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A Cat’s Eyes
Cats have a reflective film behind the retina called tapetum lucidum. It helps cats see better in the gloom. However, this slightly reduces their visual acuity or clarity of vision. Thus, it means that for a cat to spot what a normal person can look at from a couple of hundred feet, a cat may need to be at twenty feet.
Consequently, cats appear to be nearsighted and can’t see objects clearly until it’s near. They have a visual field of 200 degrees which is slightly better than ours which is at 180 degrees.
Cats often sleep through the day and hunt at night. Although they cannot regularly blink their eyes like humans, they usually squint their eyes as a form of communicating affection toward other animals or humans.
What Is Ultraviolet Vision Capability in Cats?
Recent studies confirm that cats, along with some other mammals, can detect ultraviolet light. It explains why you sometimes catch your cat gazing at something you can’t seem to see. The truth is, you can’t!
Ultraviolet vision capability also allows cats to see more colors, and this somehow explains why cats are such good hunters. On a similarly colored background, ultraviolet vibrations enable prey to stand out.
However, this visual attribute also comes with some disadvantage. Cats generally have a blurrier vision as a result of being able to see ultraviolet light.
Can Cats See Colors?
What exactly do cats see when they look at the rainbow? Can they infer the same colors that we see? Are the colors blurred? Is it only in black and white? Numerous research has been made to establish whether cats can see colors or not. It appears that although cats can’t appreciate as much intensity as humans do, they do have colors.
Their world is not black and white. The identification of colors takes place by nerve cells in the eye. The retina can have two different types of cells, the rods, and the cones. And, the cones, or the color-sensitive cells, identify and differentiate colors.
Both cats and humans have different sets of codes which define the colors red, blue, and green. The rods, on the other hand, detect motion and light levels. It helps cats see well in low light, and efficiently identify moving objects in the dark.
Just because they don’t see the entire spectrum of colors the same way that we do, it certainly doesn’t mean that cats don’t feel different colors. They only have a little difficulty understanding the real color and hue of the objects around them. Besides this, they also cannot truly appreciate the richness and brightness of some colors because of their low sensitivity to light.
What Is a Cat’s Third Eye?
Like humans, cats’ eyelids cover their eyeballs. In addition to this, for extra protection cat also has a white, opaque third eyelid known as nictitating membrane. Its location is between the inside corner of the eyes and the lower lid.
This membrane helps keep the eyes moist and clears up dust particles entering the cornea. It closes and acts as a shade when the cat is asleep but flips back to the corner of the eye when the cat awakens.
The nictitating membrane is usually hidden whenever cats are asleep. It is also barely noticeable when cats are awake. Although uncommon, some cats sleep with their eyelids partially open. In these cases, the nictating membranes become slightly visible even when asleep.
An excellent example of this is the Persian cats. Because of their short noses, they cannot completely shut their eyes when dozing off, thus causing the nictating membrane to become visible when they’re asleep. These membranes can also be observed when felines blink, which is not really often. On an average, cats blink only once every 15 minutes.
Visual Differences Between Cats and Humans
In addition to the differences in color perception, cats and humans have other notable visual differences. Every cat has elliptical pupils that are capable of full dilation, thus allowing them to capture and reflect as much light as possible.
Because cats eyes have more rods or retinal photoreceptors, they can see about 6 to 8 times better than humans in the dark. Their pupils can contract to a slit when exposed to bright lights but dilate widely in the dark. Cats eyes are also set on the sides of their heads, and this allows them to have a broader range of peripheral vision.
Cats are endowed with visual capabilities and accommodations that equip them to survive, adapt, and thrive in the wild. Being both a hunter and prey, it is vital for them to discern movements in the forest, even with great distances. It gives them cues whether to find prey or flee in the presence of danger.
Conclusion
The world is a never-ending equilibrium. The physical characteristics of every creature are results of either genetic or environmental factors. As compared to humans, a cat’s vision may be inferior in certain aspects.
We see colors and identify the richness of colors better. When it comes to distance, we see things more precise, not like cats who are generally nearsighted. On the other hand, our feline friend enjoys their own set of distinct advantages. They see better in the dark. They have a broader peripheral vision and see even fast moving objects better.
Apart from this, they even have an extra eyelid that protects their eyes! Needless to say, cat’s eyes are anatomically designed to cater to their natural environment. To equip them for the activities cats are meant to do. And us? They may not see us that clearly, but they recognize our love. Next time when you notice your cat looking at the rainbow, rest assured that your cat is enjoying it too.
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